May 8, 2023

LOVE ERA ~ TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA

After falling in love with the world of weddings when she was planning her own back in 2014, Alex started her bridal shop, Love Era, to better brides’ experiences in the way that they deserve. Opening as recently as March of this year, we are thrilled to see our wedding gowns on this new and wonderful retailer’s rails.

Situated in Temecula in Southern California’s wine country, in the US, this inviting and chic wedding boutique was recently described as an ‘upscale speakeasy’ and was inspired by “newstalgia” – the love of the modern and nostalgic elements. The owner, Alex, is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who has a Biology major, and expertise in wedding photography, and is dedicated to helping brides find their dream gowns. She grew up in the bustling cities of SoCal and lived in Italy and San Francisco before settling in the gorgeous terrain of Temecula for the past 8 years. The ever-lasting community and family values that this town encompasses is the charm and reason why Alex grew to love it. Above and beyond this, the location is a major wedding destination and until now lacked a wedding boutique such as this one, which led to Alex dreaming of and bringing Love Era to life.

She had always been set on becoming a Physician, and nearing the end of her studies she was also wedding planning, “My entire life I had been creative, musically inclined, a photography hobbyist, sewing my own clothes, and creating something out of nothing to express myself.”

Alex saw the opportunity to pursue her passions and took a gap year before applying to med school. She started a wedding photo business and has since then continued serving brides during one of the most pivotal moments in their lives! If she had some words of encouragement to lend her younger self, prior to starting her own business, Alex said to be bold and have the audacity to pursue your dreams, “You’re going to be so proud of the beauty you spread into the world. Trust your gut instincts and know that you will have angels helping guide the way.”

There’s nothing like a beautiful space to enhance your bridal experience and Love Era’s showroom does just that with its floral installation by Arturo of AHR Florals, an entire wall to mount their vintage mirror, and a 6 foot circular stage built for brides to stand on during fittings. Alex’ husband and father helped build these features, making the creation of the bridal shop that much more special.

With their gown selection now including Bo & Luca and Temple by Bo & Luca, Alex mentioned that our pieces had always been on her photographic wish list, “The attention to detail with the intricate beading designs, the romantic silhouettes and the way the pieces feel unique to the industry… all eye-catching reasons I had to have these gowns in store. Temple lured me in with their modern take on the Bo & Luca stamp. It gave options for brides who wanted something elegant with a simple design or for those who wanted to focus more on accessorizing.”

Ensuring that her brides are comfortable and elated is at the forefront of Alex’ mission, and when looking for your dream wedding gown she advises, “Stay open-minded to different materials, silhouettes and styles! Your Pinterest board and what looks or feels amazing on you are not always going to match, and that’s ok.”

Thinking back to her own wedding day, Alex says that she would choose to rather elope or have had a more intimate wedding. She was young when they got married and felt familial pressure to invite everyone, and as someone who doesn’t like to be the centre of attention, it wasn’t her style, “Regardless, we had the best time ever and I’m glad we were surrounded in love!”